The present invention relates to a mounting structure for a flat circuitry used for various kinds of electric equipments, such as a power window mechanism of a vehicle door.
Wire harnesses are usually wired in a space between an inner panel and a door trim to constitute electric circuits for carrying a switch on/off signal, an operation signal or the like to various electric equipments equipped on vehicle doors. In recent years, in place of conventional wires, cables and wire harnesses, a thin-and-flat flexible printed circuitry (hereinafter referred to as an FPC) has attracted attention, which is a flat circuitry that is excellent in operational efficiency at being handled for installation in spaces with its elasticity and flexibility. The FPCs are molded of resin, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
To attach the FPC inside a vehicle door, one end portion of the FPC, for instance, is connected to a switch unit of electric equipment while the other end portion is connected to a wire harness on the inner panel side or another circuit, such as a door control unit that is an electronically controlled unit (ECU).
FIG. 4 shows an outline of a case of operation to attach the FPC. A switch unit 2 for on-off switching operation of various electrical equipments by a driver or passengers is mounted on the internal side of a door trim 1 (inside of the vehicle) is installed. An end portion of the lead wire part of the FPC 3 is connected to a switching circuit board section (a printed circuit board: PCB) of the switch unit 2. On the other hand, a door control unit 8 is mounted on an inner panel 7 on a door panel 5 side that is equipped with such as window glass 6, and the other end portion of the lead wire part of the FPC 3 is connected to the door control unit 8 via an electric connector 4.
After completion of the mounting operation, switch on-off signals are input from the switch unit 2 to the door control unit 8 via the electric connector 4 while control signals, such as an actuating signal, are output from the door control unit 8 to the various electric equipments.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-198036A discloses another example of the related operation to attach the flat circuitry. In this case, the flat circuitry is arranged on the lower face of the door panel and then the lead wire part of the flat circuitry that is connected to the switch unit is drawn out downward.
In the related operation to attach the FPC 3, as shown in FIG. 4, when a worker assembles the door panel that includes the door trim 1, an inner panel 6 and an outer panel 9 after connection of the electric connector 4 by insertion into the door control unit 8, there may be caught a surplus length part 3a of the FPC 3 between the panels. The FPC caught between the panels may cause such a trouble as deformation, and sometimes even a wire break can be caused. This can happen also in the operation to attach the flat circuitry in the above publication.